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American troops have pulled up on a Mexican beach in a dramatic escalation of tensions after Donald Trump threatened to bomb the country.
US 'contractors' arrived by boat on Monday at Playa Bagdad, driving signs into the sand near where the Rio Grande empties into the Gulf of Mexico.
Alarmed witnesses quickly alerted officials and heavily armed Mexican security personnel rushed to the scene on trucks mounted with machine guns in a terrifying standoff.
The Pentagon, in a deeply embarrassing statement, admitted that its troops were mistaken when they landed on the beach.
The Mexican personnel watched as the Americans drove six signs into the ground, which said: 'Warning: restricted area.'
Written in English and Spanish, they claimed that the beach was the property of the US Department of Defense and had been declared restricted by 'the commander.'
They also said unauthorized access or photography was not allowed in that area and that 'if you are found here, you may be detained and searched.'
Mexico's foreign affairs ministry said its navy removed the signs from the sand, which it believed were on Mexican territory.
American personnel place signs on Bagdad beach in northern Mexico in an apparent error
The signs also said unauthorized access or photography was not allowed in that area and that 'if you are found here, you may be detained and searched'
The signs were written in both English and Spanish – and explained that it was the property of the Department of Defense and had been declared restricted by 'the commander'
The US Embassy in Mexico shared a comment from the Pentagon on Tuesday which confirmed that personnel had been sent to mark 'National Defense Area III.'
'Changes in water depth and topography altered the perception of the international boundary's location,' the statement said. 'Government of Mexico personnel removed six signs based on their perception of the international boundary's location.'
The Pentagon added that contractors would 'coordinate with appropriate agencies to avoid confusion in the future.'
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum declared on Tuesday that the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), a binational agency that determines the border between the two countries, would arbitrate the dispute.
Mexico's Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement that 'the origins of the signs and their placement on national territory were unclear' and the Mexican Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission is getting involved.
'[They] will review the maps and instruments that mark the border between both countries, as established by existing boundary and water treaties,' the statement ended.
The exact location of the beach remains unconfirmed by both parties, but a video circulating on social media and in local news appears to show Mexican marines taking down the signs.
Questions remain about what US Navy personnel were doing there and who gave the orders for the project.
Six signs were plunged by uniformed men into the sand, prompting alarm from witnesses
Mexico's president Claudia Sheinbaum responded to the surprise US signage in her country
The Mexican leader recently said US strikes against drug cartels on Mexican soil are outlawed – just a day after President Trump said he would use whatever means necessary to stop drugs from coming in to the United States
The Daily Mail reached out to the White House for clarification on the issue, and whether the order came directly from Trump, given his comments earlier about drugs in Mexico and his willingness to take action. There was no immediate response.
Sheinbaum on Tuesday once again turned down Trump's suggestion to have US military intervention against the drug cartels.
'I have told him on every occasion that we can collaborate, that they can help us with information they have, but that we operate in our territory, that we do not accept any intervention by a foreign government,' Mexico's president said.
Mexico's president has rejected the name–change of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America by Trump at the start of his second term –– which added a layer of complexity to the planted signs.
Trump on Monday told reporters in the Oval Office that he would be 'OK' with strikes on cartels inside Mexico, arguing that it would be justified to stop the inflow of the deadly opioid fentanyl.
'Would I launch strikes in Mexico to stop drugs? It's OK with me. Whatever we have to do to stop drugs,' Trump said.
'I didn't say I'm doing it, but I'd be proud to do it. Because we're going to save millions of lives by doing it.'
Sheinbaum issued a stern response, warning: 'It's not going to happen.'
The ratcheting tensions with Mexico comes as Trump has mobilized the largest US fighting force in the Caribbean since the Cold War to target gangsters transporting drugs from Venezuela.
Since September, US forces have killed at least 83 people via air strikes on boats accused of ferrying drugs in international waters.
